ENG-1976 — Page 78

EMPLOYMENT

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to meet the developing needs of Hong Kong's economy. On the council's recommenda- tion, the Governor appointed 10 industry training boards and five committees to assist the council. The 10 training boards deal with the training needs and problems of 10 major industries; automobile repair and servicing; building and civil engineer- ing; clothing; electrical; electronics; machine shop and metal working; plastics; printing; shipbuilding and ship repair; and textiles. The committees on the other hand examine problems common to more than one industry-such as apprenticeship, instructor training, technical training in institutions, translation of technical terms, and vocational training. The Training Council also has two ad hoc committees one on training in the commercial and service sectors, and the other on technologist training. The council submitted its second report to the Governor in June 1976. The training council division (formerly known as the industrial training division) of the Labour Department is the secretariat of the Training Council.

In 1976 manpower surveys were conducted by the five training boards covering the printing, automobile repair and servicing, shipbuilding and ship repair, electronics, and machine shop and metal working industries. Postal surveys were carried out by the working parties of the ad hoc committee on training in commerce and the services. The Training Council also approved for publication several survey reports and manuals of job standards, many of which are on sale at the Government Publica- tions Centre.

The Clothing Industry Training Authority and the Construction Industry Train- ing Authority, appointed by the Governor in September 1975 pursuant to the Industrial Training (Clothing Industry) Ordinance and the Industrial Training (Con- struction Industry) Ordinance respectively, made considerable progress in the year. The clothing authority is empowered to collect a training levy on the total export value of clothing items manufactured in and exported from Hong Kong, while the construc- tion industry authority collects a levy based on the value of all construction works undertaken in Hong Kong. The revenue collected will be used to set up and maintain training centres to provide practical training in key occupations for the clothing and construction industries.

The Apprenticeship Ordinance, which aims at promoting apprentice training and regulating the employment and training of apprentices in designated trades, came into effect on July 19, 1976. The ordinance applies to all employers and young people aged between 14 and 18 years engaged in designated trades. The essence of the ordinance is that an employer engaging a young person in a designated trade must enter into a contract of apprenticeship with him unless he has already completed an apprenticeship in that trade. Employers who employ apprentices in non-designated trades may voluntarily register their contracts with the Commissioner for Labour under the ordinance. At about the time when the ordinance was brought into opera- tion, 23 trades had been specified by the Governor as designated trades.

The apprenticeship division of the Labour Department is responsible for admin- istering the ordinance. In relation to registered apprentices this responsibility covers: advising and assisting employers in the training and employment of apprentices;